Obama picks ex-prosecutor to head SEC

Bracing for tougher enforcement of rules governing Wall Street in President Obama’s second term, several business groups warily welcomed the president’s nomination Thursday of Mary Jo White, a former U.S. attorney for Manhattan who made her name prosecuting terrorists, to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mrs. White, a partner at the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York, served during the Clinton administration as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, overseeing a string of high-profile white-collar crime cases. If confirmed by the Senate, she would succeed Elisse Walter, who took over as acting SEC chairman when Mary Schapiro stepped down last month.

“There’s much more work to be done to complete the task of reforming Wall Street,” Mr. Obama said, urging the Senate to confirm her as soon as possible. “We need to keep going after irresponsible behavior in the financial industry so that taxpayers don’t pay the price.”

The president also praised Mr. Cordray for his work at the CFPB over the past year and noted that his term will be up by the end of the year if the Senate does not confirm him.

Mr. Obama placed him in the job last year with a much-contested recess appointment. Republicans had blocked the nomination because they generally opposed the agency’s creation and wanted changes to the agency’s funding and structure.

The appointment of the 65-year-old Mrs. White, a tough former federal prosecutor, to head the SEC is an unusual step. The agency is usually run by lawyers and policy specialists who have spent years dealing with the securities industry.

At least one leading business group praised President Obama’s choices.

“Both have the experience and knowledge to deal with the challenges and issues facing their respective agencies,” said Scott Talbott, senior vice president for public policy at the Financial Services Roundtable.

But some were privately questioning Mrs. White’s background as a prosecutor, expressing concern that she will aggressively crack down on businesses following the 2010 passage of the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory law.

“We don’t mind being prosecuted if we do something wrong,” a financial services executive told The Washington Times on background. “But if all she’s doing is prosecuting for the sake of prosecuting, then that’s a problem.”

Although she prosecuted several high-profile white-collar criminals, Mrs. White is perhaps best known for winning convictions of four followers of Osama bin Laden for the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa. She also successfully prosecuted the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce generally praised Mrs. White’s appointment, noting only that the SEC has struggled under a heavy workload in recent years — from “the size and scope” of the Dodd-Frank-mandated rules to implementing new measures in the so-called “Jobs Act” approved by Congress last year aimed at making it easier for companies to go public more quickly and raise money.

David Hirschmann, president of the Chamber’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, expressed concerns about Mr. Cordray’s renomination, although he noted that he has appreciated Mr. Cordray’s willingness to listen to the concerns of all interested parties over the past year.

“We still have serious concerns about the [CFPB]’s structure, methods and policies, so we hope the Senate will take advantage of the confirmation process — the only meaningful check on the bureau’s authority — to get clear answers on how the $500 million agency is working,” he said.

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About the Author

Susan Crabtree is an award-winning investigative reporter with more than 15 years of reporting experience in Washington, D.C. Her reporting about bribery, corruption and conflict-of-interest issues on Capitol Hill has led to several FBI and ethics investigations, as well as consequences for members within their caucuses and at the ballot box. Susan can be reached at scrabtree@washingtontimes.com.

Tim Devaney is a national reporter who covers business and international trade for The Washington Times. Previously, he worked for the Detroit News, Grand Rapids Press, Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News. Tim can be reached at tdevaney@washingtontimes.com.